Uncommon Knowledge
by DeleaMarie
Summary: They all have secrets. Things that not even their closest friends know. Whether silly or serious, sentimental or embarrassing, some things are better kept under wraps, and that's precisely where THESE secrets are going to stay... A list of twenty secrets for each of the major characters in Merlin. CHAPTER FOUR: MORDRED
1. Gaius

Greetings, ladies, gents, and Merlinions of all ages! You might know me (probably not—people don't usually know me), but if not, my name's DeleaMarie (In case you weren't paying attention when you clicked on my story.). It's a pleasure to meet you all, and I hope you enjoy my fic and stay tuned for the upcoming chapters! :)

**Description**: They all have secrets. Things that not even their closest friends know. Whether serious or humorous, sentimental or embarrassing, some things are better kept under wraps, and that's precisely where _these_ secrets are going to stay.

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Merlin, all these little "secrets" I made up would be true (Then again, maybe I DO own it, and we just haven't gotten to the episodes where you find this stuff out... ;P).

**Additional AN**: In case you don't remember, Geoffrey is the old librarian guy who's an old friend of Gaius. In my headcanon, he and Gaius have been best friends since childhood.

* * *

**GAIUS**

1. Up until Percival came along, Gaius held the tavern's record for arm-wrestling.

2. He's not sure if it's true or not, but his mother once told him he'd been born with one eyebrow raised above the other.

3. He likes to hum while he works—it helps fill the silence whenever Merlin isn't around.

4. He was never all that great at magic when he was young, but he learned it anyway to try to please his father.

5. He still has nightmares about the days when tights were in style.

6. When Merlin got sick with a really bad fever, Gaius spent the whole night by his side, putting wet cloths on the boy's brow and murmuring lullabies that his mother used to sing to him in the language of the Old Religion.

7. He taught himself to read when he was thirteen, despite the fact that most of his family thought it was a waste of time.

8. The physician's quarters used to be the castle's washing room, and he _still_ gets the occasional load of laundry coming down one of the chutes.

9. He once told everyone at the tavern that he was the inventor of ale. He hasn't had to pay for a drink since.

10. He's never hated himself more for standing by and doing nothing than when Balinor was forced to leave Hunith to escape Uther.

11. He was seventeen when he fell in love for the first time and twenty-eight when he fell in love for the last.

12. He never told Merlin, but _he_ was the one who had originally locked the goblin up in the library (after buying him from a trader and accidentally setting him loose in the castle in the first place).

13. No one believes him when he says that he's only sixty-three—though, to be fair, he's not sure he believes it, either.

14. Before he became interested in healing, he always wanted to travel the world as a minstrel.

15. When he lost his first tooth, Geoffrey convinced him that it would never grow back, and the two young boys spent the rest of the day looking for something to fill the gap (They'd finally managed to find a small enough rock when Geoffrey's mother set them straight.).

16. He thinks the name 'Gaius' is fine, but he absolutely _hates_ his last name because it reminds him of his father.

17. He still has a scar on his leg from when he was eleven and Geoffrey dared him to try to climb one of the castle walls.

18. Sometimes he wishes he had never gone to Nimueh for Uther, but then he'll see something that shows what a great man Arthur has become, and he'll think that maybe—just maybe—all the sacrifices haven't been in vain.

19. He doesn't talk about his childhood because he's gotten tired of people asking if the _wheel_ had even been invented yet way back then.

20. He felt a warm glow of happiness when a patient once referred to Merlin as his son and the boy didn't correct her.

* * *

**Well? How'd I do? I've seen some of these secrets fics for other fandoms, but I've never read one for Merlin, so I thought I'd try my hand. I'm going to attempt to write one for every major character in the show, but it all depends on the amount of inspiration I have (Hint: Reviews help! ;P).**

**I really enjoyed writing Gaius because, since we don't know a lot (*cough* ANYTHING *cough*) about his childhood, I was able to make one up for him! In my mind, Gaius's father was stern and didn't show much approval for his son's dreams. I think Gaius came from a long line of magic users and he disappointed his father when he didn't share that love for it, so relations between the two were strained at best. Also, Geoffrey and Gaius were best friends, did everything together, and probably got into a WHOLE lot of trouble when they were youngsters!**

**About the whole age thing: Gaius being sixty-three is my way of reconciling the fact that Hunith is his sister. This way, she's only about ten or so years younger than him, rather than twenty. Also, this means that Gaius would have been roughly thirty-four when Arthur was born and the Great Purge started, which works better with the whole Alice thing, too. So, in my mind, Gaius aged prematurely due to the stress and guilt that came with his friends being persecuted (understandable, really).**

**Well, that's all for me for this chapter! Comments? Questions? Liked it? Loved it? Looking forward to more? Feel free to drop a review and let me know! :)**

**Up Next: UTHER**


	2. Uther

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I hope your day is wonderful, and my heartfelt prayers go out to the people of New York, New Jersey, and everywhere else that's been hit by Sandy.

**Description**: They all have secrets. Things that not even their closest friends know. Whether serious or humorous, sentimental or embarrassing, some things are better kept under wraps, and that's precisely where _these_ secrets are going to stay.

**Disclaimer**: I would if I could, but I can't, so I shan't (Does that make any sense at all?).

**Another AN**: I had so many people last chapter who said they were looking forward to Uther's. Hope it lives up to expectations... :s

**Another 'nother AN**: Oh, and this takes place before the season 3 finale, so no mentions of Morgana's betrayal or Uther being all comatose.

* * *

**UTHER**

1. When he first enacted the ban on magic, he tried to get people to start calling him Uther _Pend_-ragon because he refused to have a mystical creature as part of his name.

2. He gave it up when he realized that it sounded pretty much the same either way.

3. When his parents were hunting for potential suitors, he always used to worry about what he'd think of them. It wasn't until he met Ygraine that he began to worry what _she_ thought of _him_.

4. When he was fifteen, he decided that a mustache would make people take him more seriously.

5. His favorite sound in the world was—and always will be—his wife's laugh.

6. He feels slightly jealous whenever he hears Geoffrey refer to Gaius as _his_ best friend.

7. He was eight when he experienced his first assassination attempt, and he's had trouble trusting people ever since.

8. His first act as King of Camelot was to outlaw whistling in public places—simply because he could.

9. When he felt his infant son's heartbeat for the first time, he swears his own heart stopped and started beating to the same rhythm.

10. He's always secretly wished he could throw vegetables at the people in the stocks.

11. The first person he sentenced to death for practicing magic was the man who had been his personal servant for twelve years. It was one of the hardest things he'd ever done.

12. He's taken to running his hand through his hair, just to make sure it's still there.

13. He had his whole proposal planned out word for word, but the moment he looked into Ygraine's eyes, he forgot how to speak.

14. When he was young, he had a large pet boarhound that followed him everywhere he went. Unfortunately, though, when the dog got older, Uther's parents sent him to be with his family in a faraway Druid camp.

15. The first time Morgana had a nightmare, she came and cried on his shoulder until she fell back asleep. That was the moment he decided that maybe he _could_ be a father after all.

16. Sometimes, when he's lying awake at night, he can still hear the sound of the troll breathing…

17. When he was five, he used to sneak into his parents' chambers, dress up in his father's old cloak, and parade around the castle as "King Ut'er."

18. One of his greatest fears is that his wife died hating him.

19. He once went an entire week without accusing anyone of sorcery. He _still_ gets a little shaky when he thinks about it.

20. Despite his best efforts, he somehow grew up to be exactly like his father—stern, cold, and never satisfied. He desperately hopes that the same thing doesn't happen to Arthur.

* * *

**2. After coming up with the first one, I started saying PEND-ragon out loud, just to see what it sounded like (got some funny looks, too, let me tell you! ;P). Depending on how fast you say it (and how great your elocution is), it really just sounds like Pendragon.**

**4. Needless to say, he's burned all the portraits painted during THAT particular phase! ;P**

**14. "Druid camp" is the Camelotian parent's equivalent of "farm," apparently. I just love the idea of a grown up Uther even now retaining the belief that his dog is off living in a camp somewhere. And every time he raids one, he holds out the slight hope that he'll once again be reunited with his faithful pooch... ;D**

**15. I don't know if they say in the show, but in my mind, Morgana's nightmares didn't start until after Gorlois died (So Uther was "essentially" her father. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.).**

**Alright, as of now, I am planning on doing a chapter for Gwen, Morgana, Elyan, Percival, Gwaine, Leon, Arthur, and Merlin (and possibly Kilgharrah), since these are who I consider the main characters of the show to be. If there are any other characters that you REALLY want to see, feel free to tell me, and I'll see what I can come up with! :)**

**I don't know who's going to be next (leaning towards Elyan), but I probably won't be able to post till Sunday, so... See you then! :)**


	3. Elyan

I'm baaaaaack! Been a bit, hasn't it? For some reason, inspiration for Elyan just would. Not. Come. Until last night, that is, when I finally sat down and wrote about fourteen of these.

Oh, and I'm several episodes behind on the new season of Merlin, so: NO SPOILERS, PLEASE! *claps hands over ears and shouts "_Lalalalalalalalala!_"*

**Description**: They all have secrets. Things that not even their closest friends know. Whether silly or serious, sentimental or embarrassing, some things are better kept under wraps, and that's precisely where _these_ secrets are going to stay.

**Disclaimer**: You can bet Merlin's pointy hat that if I owned the show, this would NOT be the last season. :(

**Additional AN**: As I said earlier, I'm behind on the episodes, so I apologize if anything in here goes against something we learn in season five. Also, for that reason (and to avoid spoilers for those who haven't even STARTED series five), these all take place before the events of Arthur's Bane.

**ADDITIONAL Additional AN**: I have no idea what the age difference is between Gwen and Elyan, but I'm making it two years. Because I can.

* * *

**ELYAN**

1. When he was a boy, he loved to sneak into the castle kitchen and charm the women there into giving him leftovers.

2. He first got his taste for adventure from his mother, who used to tell him stories about the world outside Camelot's walls.

3. When they were younger, he and his sister used to play "Knight Rescuing the Princess." He desperately hopes Gwen never tells his friends about the times she made _him_ be the princess.

4. He still goes out to his father's forge whenever he needs to feel close to him.

5. He was first called 'Elyan the White' when Gwaine and Percival dumped a sack of flour on his head. After that, the name just kind of stuck.

6. He and his father disagreed over _everything_—blacksmithing was one of the few things they could do together without arguing.

7. He still puts a pile of salt by his bed every night, just in case.

8. Though he was too proud to admit it at the time, being on his own didn't feel anywhere near as nice as being part of a family.

9. When Gwen became old enough to marry, he made a list of all the things he would do to any man who dared to break her heart.

10. He gave the list to Arthur as a wedding present.

11. His mother was the peacemaker of the family, always smoothing things over between his father and him. When she died, even Gwen wasn't strong enough to hold them all together for long.

12. He sleepwalks. Once, he woke up to find that he'd locked himself in the stocks (He still has no idea _why_.).

13. He was nineteen when he left Camelot for the first time, and he never looked back.

14. His first kiss ended with him being pushed into a creek.

15. He'll always have to live with the fact that the last words he spoke to his father were part of an argument about him leaving home.

16. He doesn't think he'll ever have children of his own, but he's really looking forward to becoming an uncle.

17. When he returned to Camelot, Gwen wanted to take him to see their father's grave right away. She didn't understand why he just _couldn't_.

18. When he was little, he'd always wanted to be a knight of Camelot, but he'd never thought that that dream would become a reality.

19. "Wrong place, wrong time" didn't even _begin_ to cover some of the crazy situations he'd found himself in over the years (Or explain why he now had nine toes and always carried around a flyswatter.).

20. Growing up, he'd always wished for a brother instead of a sister. Now, though, he wouldn't trade Gwen for anything.

* * *

**5. Well, they don't actually mention any of the knights' titles/attributes in the show, but in the legend, Elyan is known as Sir Elyan the White. This is obviously why.**

**6. Why do I keep giving the menfolk difficult relationships with their fathers? Well, it just worked in this case. The way I see it, Elyan grew up wanting to see the world outside Camelot's walls, but his father didn't want him to leave. Then, after his wife died, Tom REALLY wanted the family to stick together, but Elyan just saw it as one more reason to go.**

**9. I'm really not a huge fan of Elyan (abandoned his family; didn't come home when his father died; just stood by and let Gwen get banished...). Protective older brother is really his only redeeming quality in my eyes (They just don't give him enough of a personality on the show for me to get to know him and like him better!).**

**19. In "The Castle of Fyrien," Elyan mentions owning a forge, but, in my mind, he traveled the world quite a bit before settling down. I bet he could give even GWAINE a run for his money in the tall tavern tales department!**

**20. I'm not sure if they ever say in the show which of the siblings is older. In my mind, it's Elyan, but I left it open either way.**

**Well, that's all for Elyan. Hope I did him justice and you all don't hate him (or me!) now. No idea when my next update will be (But reviews definitely get the juices flowing! ;P). I'm thinking Gwen, Kilgharrah, or Mordred for the next one...**

**Thoughts? Comments? I'd love to hear from you!**

**Till next time!**

**DeleaMarie**

**P.S. Oh, and feel free to check out some of my other Merlin stories if you have the time! :)**

Dilila23 and Anon: Thanks bunches for your reviews! I'm so glad you've been enjoying this series, and I hope you like this chapter, as well! :)


	4. Mordred

And I'll bet you thought I was never coming back...

Well, it's been roughly five months since I last updated this. Sad, I know, and I really have no excuse. I've just had a hard time finding inspiration since the finale. :(

But I'm back now, and I've brought this lovely new chapter as an "I'm sorry" gift! Forgive me? :)

**Description**: They all have secrets. Things that not even their closest friends know. Whether silly or serious, sentimental or embarrassing, some things are better kept under wraps, and that's precisely where _these_ secrets are going to stay.

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Merlin, I'd probably be better at writing on a deadline.

**Additional AN**: Spoilers for all seasons. Also, since basically nothing is known about Mordred's past, I've made one up for him.

* * *

**MORDRED**

1. One of his biggest regrets is that he stabbed Morgana before he had a chance to ask her for a ride on Aithusa.

2. He'd been an orphaned street urchin before the Druids took him in—doing odd jobs when he could and stealing when he couldn't.

3. All right, he'll admit it—he used magic once to beat Percival at arm-wrestling.

4. He didn't know it was possible to both trust and fear someone until he met Arthur.

5. The first time he heard another Druid's voice in his head, he wondered if he was crazy.

6. Sometimes he still does.

7. He's a master at hide-and-seek—during their games, it often took the other Druid children _hours_ to find him.

8. He's grateful for his new chambers as a Knight of Camelot, but sometimes the four walls make him feel trapped.

9. When he was younger, he'd hated baths so much, he had once tried to use a cleaning spell on himself (He was coughing up bubbles for _days_.).

10. Cerdan—the Druid man Uther killed—wasn't his real father, but he was the closest thing he had.

11. He'd take a bow and arrow over a sword any day.

12. It was weird going from being the oldest of the Druid children to the youngest of the Knights of the Round Table. A good kind of weird.

13. He thought Gwaine was going to pass out when he mentioned that he'd never taken part in a drinking game before.

14. He has his mother's eyes.

15. He can actually cook quite well, but he figures that if the Knights ever found out, they'd make him help Merlin prepare the meals.

16. When he first arrived at the Druid camp, he was desperate for a father-figure and Cerdan was desperate for a son. Everything else just sort of fell into place.

17. It was on his tenth night at Camelot that he found out about the Knights' "hazing rituals" for all newcomers.

18. If he were in Merlin's position, he probably would have given up on Arthur long ago.

19. He had a huge crush on the Druid leader's daughter… right up until she started calling him _Mordy_.

20. His parents used to tell him that he'd grow up to do great things. Somehow he doubts killing Arthur is what they'd had in mind.

* * *

**1. The one plus to being on the bad side... ;P**

**10. The show never tells us whether the man Mordred is with in "The Beginning of the End" is his father or not. I decided that he would be his mentor but also a father-figure he never really had, since his parents died when he was quite young. I originally wrote that Cerdan was "more of a father than Mordred's own had ever been," but then I remembered that I keep giving the men of Camelot difficult relationships with their fathers, and I decided not to do that with Mordred. :)**

**11. I don't care if he's a master at swordfighting—he just looks more like an archer to me! Plus, since Druids are (typically) peaceful, I think he'd be much more likely to have trained with a bow an arrow than with a sword (at least in his youth).**

**12. I know he didn't go straight from being a Druid to being a Knight, but I'm counting those as the only two times when he really felt like he was part of a family.**

**16. Every time I write "Cerdan," I keep wanting to say "Cenred." Imagine how Mordred would've turned out if he'd been raised by HIM! ;P**

**17. I'm already planning on writing a story for this one (probably as part of my drabble series), so be on the lookout, and _please don't copy the idea_!**

**20. I think that, even though he felt angry and betrayed by the king, Mordred really regretted what he did to Arthur. I don't know if the show really succeeded in painting him as a villain, since you can't help but feel bad for him the whole time (And absolutely HATE his girlfriend—what was wrong with her?!).**

All right, that's it for me! :) If anyone's still reading this fic, I'll try to be MUCH faster with my next update! I'm thinking maybe Gwen or Morgana, since we haven't had any females yet...

Please review! :D

Hugs and Butterfly Kisses,

Your DeleaMarie


End file.
